Firecracker

Probably just that there weren't any left? Give it a few days, you might find eBay is your friend ;-)

I think any good photographer would bear in mind difference in height, and also outfit. Someone who's much taller would mean an unbalanced photo, so they'd swap to portrait. Someone with a great cosplay or a t-shirt logo or prop (which wouldn't be seen in landscape) would need portrait to show them off.

Or just told your hand up vertically and make sure the photographer sees you gesture. Sign language often good in a noisy environment!

They definitely did, I saw them selling them on Friday, but not Saturday or today.

I was lucky Friday and Saturday, only a few guest photos, close together with gaps so I could sit and read. I suspect tomorrow (with more photos) will be busier. Go team us!

Compared to the first few years I was going, LFCC now is lightyears better. More space to walk around the stalls (in the centre anyway, less so on the perimeters), good photo area communications, more signage, smoother running. There will always be overrunning and odd little niggles here and there, it's part of a big event - but thanks guys, it really has improved loads. *braces for the final day's early alarm - I CAN do this, I can do this...*

Talking to a guy with a Fitbit in the Tim McInnerny queue this morning, got me wondering - most of us probably have something, whether Garmin, Fitbit, Apple watch, etc. Are you getting loads more steps with all the walking to the venue, round the stalls, between photo areas and up and down the stairs? (if you're a Fitbit person I bet you've got the stairs reward one of these days!). Friday was quieter for me - worked from home in the morning so just LFCCed in the afternoon, and got to 10,000 steps. Saturday was a full day, longer walk to the venue, more walking around the venue, and then a 5 mile run tonight so I've hit 27,000 today If anyone sees me struggling to get up after sitting on the floor tomorrow, give me a hand up

First Date? He was cool :)

So you were there for one day only? With a load of things to do? Not being flexible to change times? And it was overcrowded, so the ticket number should be limited? Of course, limited for other people, not for you, because YOU need to be there of course I had 2 clashes and 1 photoshoot where I was told to come back to a later one (all on Friday). I was constantly running between 2 photo areas. I don't say, that it was easy... all I say is that it was not surprising, because I knew it in advance (Floor plans have been released on Monday, the photo time table even before that). I knew about my clashes and I knew where the photo areas will be. If you read the comments here, some people seem to be thinking the con should be a "walk in the park" with only a handfull of people in queues and less ticket sales, so they can be comfortable. Of course, less tickets means that OTHERS shouldn't get any - not themselves... That's not how it works. Oh, so the weather is also a matter of Showmasters? It's July, so the chances for having a very hot day are quite "good". It's nice if it's not that hot, but if it is, it should not be surprising at all. That's what I meant to say... BTW: I had to put my jacket on during MJF Talk at Superstage on Saturday because of the A/C being quite cool... If it matters, I had 4 photo shoots. I planned just fine and wasn't rushed at all. I ended up adding another shoot because I could fit it in. I'm far from the only one thinking it was overcrowded, if you read the thread. Lots of people are saying numbers should be limited - I'm one of many saying that more venue space is fine, if it means we have space to move around in. More venue space but more people gives the same problem we had this time. Keeping the entrance ticket numbers limited would apply to everyone - I'd have just the same chance as anyone else of getting one, depending on how quickly I could get online, have the money, or decide to go. If they announce a lot of Star Wars guests and all the SW fans buy all the entrance tickets meaning that there are none left by the time a guest I want is announced, then I don't go - pretty simple, and expected. I'd not planned to go Saturday or Sunday this time, because Saturday is past busy and Sunday I was due to run a 10K race. Then they announced Jonathan Pryce and I got injured. I deliberated, unable to decide if I should go or not, and then they sold out - they hit their quota and that's it. No complaints, because it's no-one's fault. (In the end I ran/walked the 10K, had a great time and got to run a lap in the Olympic Stadium, so you know, goodness of a different kind). Most people asking to cap attendance as it is while expanding venue space are going to be the same - they won't buy a ticket until there's someone they want to see, they can afford it and they know they're free. If it's sold out in the meantime - you accept it, and see if there's another way to do it - such as going on another day, or crewing (which I did look at this time, but discounted). As for turning round and saying it's all about ME and limiting so I get what I want... The way your original post read was "I had no problems because I planned it perfectly, so anyone who is complaining didn't plan enough". Maybe that wasn't your intention, but it read that way. Plenty of the people here complaining and making suggestions have been to multiple events, over many years. So if newbies didn't prepare, then your comment is valid. But plenty of veterans know how to plan, and had issues. I've been to some brilliant SM events - ones where the only real problem was having to wait while they sent photos out for printing and you had to wait hours to see if there was a problem with the photo or not. Crowding round a table to spot yours as they laid them out. But crew largely knew what they were doing, you could move around, good range of vendors, talks you could get into and hear... What we're saying is the quality was there and has suffered a little while the size has grown. We want to get the quality back. SM have shown how good they can be - that's why we want them to get back to that, rather than constantly growing with problems. And I never said SM controlled the weather. They're powerful, but have a limit! You were the one saying "Stop complaining people, it's July you should expect it to be hot". My point was that you can't expect July to be *anything* - it's England, being random with weather is what we do best.

Being prepared by reading all the info is one thing. But plenty of people here have been going for years (myself included), so don't tell people that moaning about overcrowding is due to being unprepared. I knew it would be busy, so picked the quietest of the three days, made a printed schedule, got extra fivers out, you name it. Still ended up struggling to get around the venue because of the sheer volume of people. When you book photo tickets, you don't know the timing between them - SM themselves don't know at that point either. 5 minute gap between two people in the same area? Fine. 5 minutes between two photo shoot areas you didn't know would be on different floors? Not your fault, and the sheer volume of people makes it difficult to get between them, no matter how many print outs and maps you've made. When you're talking about hundreds of people in any ticket group, and thousands overall, you can't predict them as easily. I don't think I can remember a time in multiple events, where crew have had to say sorry, there are too many people to get through in the photo shoot, so if anyone is here Sat/Sun can we swap you to that - that's been asked in advance before a show a few times to lessen the burden on Saturday by moving folks to Friday or Sunday - but it's never been a problem on Friday with too many for a shoot, and certainly never as the actual shoot is about to start. Plenty of people got to the RDA photo shoot 2 on time, being prepared - I was one of them. But too many people had been unable to get through in shoot 1, so photo shoot 2 was hopelessly overcrowded. As for heat - yes, people know it'll be hot in July. But look out the window today - grey and windy. Friday and Sunday were peeing it down with rain. And I remember an Entertainment and Media Show in October that was so hot people went around in t-shirts - outside. Plenty of people have been going a lot longer than you, we know exactly how to prepare and get the most we can - there are still unknown things and crowd issues to throw a wrench in things.

To be honest, I'd rather have one like the left hand one, a bit closer so I can see faces better. Just my personal view though, and we're equally entitled to them, neither's right or wrong!

Maybe. It's only really James Masters at the moment, and bless him, he's cancelled the last few events - entirely justifiably, due to work, etc. (and I'm happy he's working - means more for me to watch him in!). I just want to get a bit closer to the event to make sure no other issues come up to prevent him coming.

Didn't something like this happen at a previous SM event here? Can't remember when, as I didn't sign up for it.

I will be attending with my sis and her boyfriend (he's a teacher so won't be able to get Friday off!) I think big guests will always do the Saturday anyway and I doubt many guests will just do Friday only. It's probably just as well I will only be attending 2 days as I don't think I have the physical stamina to cope with more than that! If you look at the signing days there were a few this year that only did Friday The event is open until 8pm, so time for a visit after work :) I finish work at 5pm in Nottingham! I guess people who live local could do that Agreed.love the way some people on here think everybody lives in london when most of us don't. I would love to pop in after work but catching a train from Birmingham would leave me with 10 minutes at the venue. Some people DON'T think everyone lives in London. It was a sharing of info for people who might not be aware of how late the event goes on (other SM events finish at 6pm, for instance). I don't know where everyone lives, so it's up to the person to read it and think "I did know that, thanks - but I live in X, so can't benefit" or "I didn't know that - sounds great, but I can't use it as I live too far away". No need for a chip on a shoulder. Yes, some of us live in London, but we pay through the nose for the "privilege" ;-) But short of people who are limited like teachers in not being able to take holiday when they want to, it is possible to take a half day as annual leave. I do live in London, but I purposely saved a day's holiday so I could go on a quieter day. Totally worth losing a day's holiday, so I could avoid the huge weekend queues!

Jason / team I know you are fans, and want this to be the biggest and best event in Europe. It's certainly getting that way for biggest, but the "best" label... It feels a little like you keep trying to grow before you've fixed things that didn't work before. It's like my physio overloading me with 20 exercises that I'll forget how to do - instead, she gave me 3 to perfect, and once I get those nailed, she'll add more until I reach the desired number. You KNOW how to grow... maybe stop the growth and concentrate on perfecting the quality, so your name is the watchword for quality. Wouldn't it be nice for someone to hear the name Showmasters and think of it in the same league as Apple for customer service? Instead it feels a little like it's Ryanair - more focus on getting bums on seats and making money, less on the actual enjoyable experience. Maybe that's not how you feel - but whereas we visitors are trying to imagine things from your point of view, please try to see things by walking in our shoes. Step away from your organising hats, and try to imagine attending as a guest. Please know that I say all this because I want you to be the best too. I can't make that clear enough. I'm lucky enough to have attended a lot of your events and had some great guest meetings. But those were pretty much all early events from years ago when things were smaller and manageable. I'm not alone (judging by the comments on here) in feeling I'm less and less likely to attend - even if there are some people it would be nice to meet, the stress of attending just isn't worth it some times. I'd love for future events to cause me the same level of excitement as the ones from 2009-2012. I'd get so excited, but know that things would run smoothly, and I'd have a great time. Now, it's not quite dread, but more something I have to endure for a few quick photoshoots. You really could be the absolute best in Europe - but it needs 100% focus on quality for a while, at the expense of growth. Don't shrink, just stop trying to grow for a while, while you perfect things. Because we know you could be truly outstanding.